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Petition PE1815 Translocate Protected Beavers to Reduce Licensed Killing - NatureScot

Letter from the Convener to the Government Relations Manager of NatureScot of 20 December 2021

Dear Mr MacKay,

At its meeting on 30 November, the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee considered the above petition.

The Committee agreed to request further information from the Scottish Government and NatureScot in light of both the court judgement on 21 October 2021 and the Scottish Government announcement on 24 November 2021 regarding the protection of Scotland’s beaver population.

As noted by Mark Ruskell MSP during the public session:

“I think that we should certainly write to NatureScot to ask for more detail on its view of the change in the beaver management framework, particularly with regard to existing licences for lethal control, the funding of translocations and how the process itself can be streamlined. I know that some of that will come through forthcoming guidance, but I would still be reluctant to close the petition. You could look at this and think that pretty much everything that the petitioners have asked for is now happening, but there are some issues for the future with regard to guidance and the management framework that will need to be followed up, to ensure that we get substantial change.”

The Committee would welcome a response to the points raised, including your views on the Beaver Management Framework announced by the Scottish Government and the guidance that NatureScot is developing:

• What options are there for the funding of beaver translocation including any potential role for existing funding mechanisms such as the Nature Restoration Fund?
• What timescales is NatureScot working to in order to develop new guidance on beaver translocation policy and wider beaver management, and what is the scope of the review of beaver management policy?
• Does NatureScot’s work on developing policy around beaver management also include exploring how impacts of beavers can be managed in situ without translocation or culling – including any relevance of how rural payments might be applied in this area (e.g. as part of discussions around ‘public money for public goods’)?

At the meeting, Monica Lennon MSP also raised questions about the recent court ruling:

“…we should ask NatureScot and the Scottish Government for a response to the recent court ruling, given that some matters might be open to different interpretation, and from a landowner’s perspective, there might be questions about compensation for putting adaptation measures in place. I note that 115 beavers—or around a tenth of the population—were shot and killed in Scotland last year. Despite the change in policy, there is still scope for licensing lethal control, and we need to get a better sense of what that will look like.”

The Committee would welcome your views on the ruling and its outcomes, including:

• What is your interpretation of the recent judicial review ruling in relation to whether translocation of beavers (or more broadly, European Protected Species) should be prioritised versus licensed culling?
• What are the implications of the judicial review outcome for NatureScot’s licensing activities more generally (across all species and in particular European Protected Species) – will all licensing activities be reviewed in light of the ruling and what changes might be expected?

The Official Report for this meeting is available on the Scottish Parliament’s website.

The Committee would appreciate a response by 21 January 2022.

Yours sincerely,

Dean Lockhart MSP

Convener

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee